Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters (16 page)

‘Is there an antidote?’ said the Doctor. ‘Any cure?’

‘I do not know,’ said Okdel. ‘Since it only affected the apes, we had no need to develop an antidote. That is why I have brought you this.’ He offered the canister to the Doctor. ‘Your civilisation has scientists, has it?’

‘Yes,’ said the Doctor.

‘The virus is in this substance. Take it to your scientists, ask them to develop an antidote.’

The Doctor took the canister, holding it very carefully. ‘That might take weeks.’

‘Of course,’ said Okdel. ‘I fear many of the human species will die. That cannot now be avoided. But with this substance, you have a slight chance.’Okdel turned to the door and opened it again. ‘Now I shall release you. You must come with me.’

‘What about your friends who have released this virus?’the Doctor said, as he followed Okdel out of the inner room.

‘I hope they will understand why I have released you,’ Okdel said, leading the Doctor towards the door to another inner room. ‘If they do not, they will be very angry.’

Okdel stopped at the door to the other inner room. He looked at the lock, and for a second his third eye glowed red. The lock clicked, and the door opened by itself. ‘Go through there,’ said Okdel. ‘Other doors will open as you go forward. Then you will find yourself outside this shelter and in a great cave. From there you must find your own way.’

‘Thank you,’ said the Doctor. ‘I hope that we shall meet again soon.’

Okdel said nothing. The Doctor entered the inner room, and the door closed soundlessly behind him. Then another door in front of him opened, just as Okdel had promised.

Okdel stood by the door for some minutes after the Doctor had gone. He felt very old. It was still so difficult for him to accept that up on ground-level nothing remained of his civilisation. He thought about these hot arid places which the Doctor had said the humans might set aside for the reptile people to live in – the Sahara, Arabia, Central Australia. None of these names meant anything to Okdel. He felt too old and tired to think of building new domed cities.

Slowly he walked back to the inner room where he had talked with the Doctor. The picture of a domed city was still on the screen. He went up to the screen and touched a control. A moving picture appeared showing his people’s first attempt at flight. The flying-machine was very small and only carried two young reptile men. The picture cut to a crowd waving to the brave young aviators. All this had happened when Okdel was young. Later their flying-machines were developed to carry hundreds of passengers at a time. He turned another control to bring up a picture of more personal memories. It showed himself as a young reptile man winning a race. His limbs were far too old and fragile to race now. The picture changed, and there was an ape in a cage in Okdel’s garden. His friends had thought him very strange to keep an ape as a pet, but Okdel had taken a liking to the animal. The ape jumped about the cave, then picked up a slate and a pencil and started to make a crude drawing of animals and reptile men. This had always fascinated Okdel, the fact that an animal could draw pictures. He wished that he had been able to bring his pet ape with him into the shelter.

Suddenly he was aware that he was not alone. He switched off the screen and turned round. Morka and K’to had entered the room and were standing side by side. Okdel knew what was going to happen.

‘Where is the other human?’ said Morka.

‘I have released him,’ said Okdel. ‘I gave him the substance so that the humans can find an antidote.’

‘You want them to destroy us?’ said Morka.

‘They will not destroy us,’ said Okdel, ‘and we need not destroy them. There are places on the planet where our species can continue to live.’

‘They will not allow us to live,’ said K’to. ‘The ape Quinn told us how the humans are killing off all other species on the planet. They are mammals, yet they exterminate other mammals. What chance have we while these humans exist?’

‘If we fight them,’ said Okdel, ‘they will win.’

‘Never!’ said Morka. ‘The lethal substance could kill them all if you had not interfered.’

Okdel sensed that his life was almost at an end. He said what was truly in his mind. ‘The planet is cooler, the atmosphere thinner, than in our day. All our civilisation is destroyed. Perhaps it is a mistake even to think of starting again.’

‘You propose that vermin shall take our world?’ said Morka.

‘They have already taken it,’ said Okdel. ‘We can but hope for the smallest share.’

‘You have betrayed us,’ said Morka. He turned to K’to. ‘Kill him now!’

Okdel saw the two third eyes before him turn to a brilliant red. The pain raced through his old limbs. For a moment he remembered himself as a tiny reptile baby, breaking out from its egg. Then his mind went blank and he was dead.

The Right Honourable Frederick Masters presided over the meeting from what was normally Dr Lawrence’s chair behind the desk. Dr Lawrence had to occupy one of the hard-backed chairs, and sat next to Liz. On the other side of Liz was Major Barker and the Brigadier. She noticed how Major Barker was sweating profusely, and kept scratching at his arm.

‘I tell you,’ said Barker, ‘that Doctor is a traitor! He’s cooperating with them.’

‘Co-operating with reptile men,’ said Masters, turning to the Brigadier. ‘Do you believe in these creatures?’

Liz couldn’t stop herself answering for the Brigadier. ‘Mr Masters, I’ve seen them. Everything Major Barker says is true – except about the Doctor being a traitor.’

Major Barker swung round to face Liz. ‘You weren’t there when he started to make deals with them!’ He scratched furiously at his arm, then tried to stop himself.

‘If I may make a point,’ said Dr Lawrence, ‘I find this all scientifically impossible. In any case, the point at issue is these power losses!’

‘I agree,’ said Masters, ‘but I really cannot prepare a report for the government on the basis of what I’ve heard so far.’

Major Barker exploded. ‘There’s no time for reports, sir! We must blow up every entrance to those caves before they over-run us.’

‘I agree,’ said Dr Lawrence, ‘that would probably be very sensible.’

‘It wouldn’t stop your power losses,’ Liz said. ‘And you mustn’t blow up the entrances while the Doctor is still down there.’

Masters turned to the Brigadier. ‘I believe you told your Doctor that the caves were out-of-bounds to him – is that correct?’

The Brigadier mumbled over his words. ‘Well, yes, er, I did advise him to keep clear of the caves…’

‘Advice which he ignored?’ said Masters, cutting in.

‘He’s a very self-willed fellow,’ said the Brigadier.

‘A traitor, if you ask me!’ shouted Major Barker.

Masters swung round to face Barker. ‘I didn’t ask you, and I’d be glad if you would remember that I am chairing this meeting. And another thing, Major Barker: stop scratching yourself. It annoys me.’

Major Barker stopped scratching himself instantly, shocked by the way he had been spoken to. Liz looked from him to Masters. Masters didn’t look at all well. Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead.

‘Now then,’ said Masters, who seemed to be losing his grip of the meeting, ‘where had we got to?’

‘We have to rescue the Doctor,’ said Liz, taking the opportunity to make her point. ‘He’s still in the caves.’

The Brigadier said, ‘Well, I can’t mount a proper rescue until I get an adequate number of troops and equipment.’

‘I don’t think a rescue is really included on our agenda,’ said Masters. ‘The Doctor defied the Brigadier’s ban, and went into the caves of his own free will.’

Liz protested, ‘That doesn’t mean you can leave him there!’

‘How thoughtful of you, Liz!’ The Doctor’s voice boomed from the open door. Everyone swung round to see the Doctor as he entered. He carried in his hand the metal canister. ‘Now I want you all to move away from Major Barker.’ He turned to Barker with a smile. ‘Sorry to be treating you like a leper, old man, but – well, that is what you are for the time being.’

Major Barker rose slowly, quivering with rage. His face had gone beetroot. Liz thought one of the veins in his temples might burst at any moment. ‘You blackguard,’ he said to the Doctor. ‘You filthy traitor! I’m placing you under arrest.’

Major Barker moved to grab the Doctor, but the Doctor quickly sidestepped out of Barker’s way. ‘Listen to me, Major,’ he said, ‘you’re an ill man. You have a terrible infection.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Barker demanded. ‘You, sir, are a criminal of the worst order. I’ve told them all about you. I’m taking you into custody, and I suggest that you come quietly.’ The Major crossed to the Doctor and tried to grip his arm.

The Doctor stepped back again. ‘I warn you, Major, you’re an ill man. And above all, you mustn’t touch anyone…’

The Major staggered, then lunged forward at the Doctor. The Doctor backed as far as he could, until his back was against the wall. Suddenly the Major stopped in his advance. He closed his eyes for a moment, then suddenly grabbed at his own wrist as though it was burning. ‘My arm,’ he said, his voice hardly audible, ‘it’s killing me.’ He staggered again, and sank to his knees, then pulled up his jacket and shirt sleeve. A huge bright red mark stood out on his arm where previously there had been the tiny wound. ‘It’s festering,’ he gasped, ‘I’ll lose my arm. The pain – it’s too much…’ He suddenly collapsed in a faint.

The Doctor knelt down and examined the mark on Barker’s arm. Meanwhile Dr Lawrence had lifted his internal ’phone and was telling Dr Meredith to hurry along here from the sick-bay. The Brigadier and Masters came and looked down at the bright red mark on Barker’s arm.

‘What’s the matter with him?’ said Masters.

‘He’s being used as a carrier,’ said the Doctor. ‘I believe the skin under that mark is filled with an infectious virus.’

‘No wonder he kept scratching his arm,’ said Masters, and pulled out a spotless white handkerchief and mopped his brow. ‘Charles,’ he said to Dr Lawrence, ‘can you turn up the air-conditioning in here a bit? It’s terribly warm.’

Dr Lawrence adjusted the air-conditioning. Cold air started to pump in through grilles near the ceiling. ‘Dr Meredith will be here in a moment,’ he said. He turned to the Doctor.’ What’s this about you making a deal with lizards?’

‘There is a life-form in a special shelter in the caves,’ the Doctor said. ‘It is intelligent. But whatever Major Barker has told you, things have since changed. This canister contains enough poison to wipe out the entire human race. This place must be put into strict quarantine, and I need a fully equipped laboratory in order to find an antidote for what’s in this canister.’

‘You’ll bring the Centre to a standstill,’ said Dr Lawrence.

‘And those “lizards” will bring Mankind to a standstill,’ said the Doctor.

Dr Meredith hurried in. ‘You wanted me, sir?’

Dr Lawrence indicated Barker on the floor. ‘Major Barker’s collapsed, probably through exhaustion.’

Dr Meredith looked down at Barker. ‘Does anyone know how he got that mark on his arm?’

‘A lizard bit him,’ said Masters, and gave a silly laugh.

‘Perhaps one of you gentlemen could help me get him to the sick-bay,’ said Dr Meredith.

‘Allow me,’ said the Brigadier, and knelt down to raise up Major Barker.

‘No one should touch him,’ said the Doctor. ‘That’s exactly what they want us to do.’

The Brigadier looked up from the floor. ‘Doctor, we can’t be sure of that, and in any case we can’t leave the poor man lying here. Ready, Dr Meredith?’

Together, Dr Meredith and the Brigadier lifted Major Barker between them and carried him out of the office.

‘If you don’t mind,’ said Masters, ‘we’ll adjourn the meeting for a few minutes. I suppose your sick-bay has got aspirins and that sort of thing. I’m so busy, I hardly had any sleep last night. I’ll be back shortly.’ He followed Dr Meredith and the Brigadier out of the office.

‘Now,’ said the Doctor to Dr Lawrence, ‘I’m going to need the full use of your laboratory, and in particular I’ll need an electron microscope.’

‘That’s all very interesting,’ said Dr Lawrence scathingly, ‘but I really don’t understand why.’

‘Then I had better try to explain,’ said the Doctor. He carefully took Dr Lawrence through the whole story of his encounter with the reptile men. It was clear from Dr Lawrence’s face that at first he thought the Doctor was out of his mind. But as the Doctor progressed with his story, some of the time supported by Liz’s own account of what she had seen, Dr Lawrence gradually became convinced. Halfway through the story, Masters returned, so the Doctor had to repeat a lot of what he had already told Dr Lawrence. Towards the tail-end the Brigadier reappeared.

When the Doctor had finished, Dr Lawrence was the first to speak: ‘At least that exonerates me,’ he said smugly.

‘Is that your only reaction,’ said the Doctor, ‘to the existence of an entirely separate life-form in the caves – that it exonerates
you
?’

‘My task is to make this research centre operate efficiently,’ said Dr Lawrence.

‘I must say,’ said Masters to the Doctor, ‘you have presented us with a rather considerable problem. There’s a government meeting I have to attend later today in London. The only thing I can recommend is that this centre be closed.’

Dr Lawrence was crestfallen. ‘But the trouble has nothing to do with this centre! You’ve just heard the Doctor explain that!’

‘The objective fact is,’ said Masters, ‘that we cannot make this place work, at least not until these animals have been exterminated.’

‘Talking of extermination,’ said the Doctor, trying to get the conversation back to the most immediate problem, ‘the way things are going
you
are likely to be exterminated, not the reptile men.’ He turned to the Brigadier. ‘How’s Major Barker now?’

‘He’s remained in the coma,’ said the Brigadier. ‘Dr Meredith’s packed him off to the cottage hospital.’

The Doctor shot up out of his chair. ‘
What
? That’s the worst thing he could have done. I said this whole centre should be in quarantine! We need to get that man back here immediately.’